Seals Master
by EternalVoid
Summary: Naruko is unknown to the world, but that will soon change. The power to change the nations greatest weapons is a great one indeed. Other characters will be added as they appear.


Chapter One

The pale silver moon held itself above the cold, unforgiving planes, silent and eternal in its vigil. The silver light revealed a desolate and parched landscape as far as the eye could see. Not a single indication of life could be seen, even the low moans of the sand dunes had fallen silent many hours ago.

The heat of the day was long forgotten in the cold chill of the nights grip. A silent breeze picked up sand and played with it, twisting it around before dumping it back onto the ground haphazardly. The night air then became still, the air holdings its breath in, what might be taken as, anticipation, or trepidation for the night ahead.

The dark hours were were the deadliest time after all, for any man or woman.

Naruko took all of this in with a silent admiration for the desert. It was a place few could survive, let alone thrive in, and she had seen the skeletons of more than a couple of creatures on her way out here. The place was easier to see during then night, the pale light robbing the land of its illusions and deceit, the mirages gave way to rolling dunes and flat plans of dead land.

But even now she could feel the night air charged with power, ready for whatever was to happen next. She wrapped her cloak around her frame tighter and carried on walking towards her designation, along a road that was barely visible during the day, and now was lost in the silvery ocean that surrounded her.

She wondered briefly how the guards of the town would perceive her. A young woman with cropped blonde hair and sharp, piercing blue eyes like the depths of an ocean, a black cloak and hood along with the fingerless gloves and walking boots that came up to her shins, she wouldn't look out of place being a mercenary. But it was her mask that deserved special attention, as she slipped it on she admired, briefly, the red velvet lining, and intricate panelling on the inside that hid the complex inner workings of it. It had two glass eyes, one of which could be utilised as a form of telescope, allowing magnification, the outer part of the mask was black and copper pieces held the mask together, shaped like the front of the human skull, complete with the area for the nose and the open area under the top jaw, the bottom piece held in place with strong wire, giving it a death-heads appearance.

She slipped it on and felt the effects even as she approached the village. Already the beast was free from its cage and running around in a frenzy. She sighed to herself and remove some strips of paper from her many slings and belts on her person, channelling chakra into them she stepped forwards towards the village.

The village was in chaos. A great beast, like a raccoon dog built of sand, towered above the buildings and laughed manically as it stomped around, ignoring the attacks of the ninjas around it, shooting weapons, fire and even sharped blades of wind at its form. It just laughed and stomped another building into the dust it had been formed from.

Suna was built into a small valley next to a near unsalable cliff, which towered behind it and to both sides, leaving only one obvious route for entering the village. The stone of the walls in front was little protection from the beast inside, however, nor the stone of the oddly circular buildings. The shade would have been pleasant in the day, now it just made the village pitch black, leaving little visible, especially now that the power was out thanks to the Demon towering above the village, even the most powerful attacks doing little more than irritating it as it sought to vent its anger and madness against the world in any way possible.

Naruko strode past the gate, the guards nowhere to be seen, not that it surprised her too much. She walked towards the centre of town, where the beast sat, but she pulled her hood tighter and slunk into the shadows afforded by the damage done, and the cliffs above her.

The Kazekage was reading his own attack, from sand made of gold, when she appeared before the great beast as it towered over the Kazekage, clearly ready to turn him into a fine red paste for all the times he had held it back, preventing it from finally becoming free.

She stepped forwards, a piece of paper in her hand

"Shukaku!" she called out, her voice thundering in the silent night

"Who calls?" it asked dangerously as its great head, filled with rows of teeth built of sand, turned to face the young woman below it

Naruko took the paper between her fingers and put her hands together before focusing

"What're you doing?" a guard shouted at her but she ignored him as pale blue chakra began to flow out of her and into the hidden scraps of paper hidden throughout the town, forming the four corners she needed for this technique to work.

"Seal" she muttered to herself as the barrier sprung up around the beast, quickly containing it, along with Naruko who stood inside

"What is this" the beast roared

Naruko ignored it and began to shrink the barrier, hearing the creature shriek in pain each time its faux body touched the writhing blue surface of the walls of the seal, gradually being forced to collapse in on itself as it thrashed and struck out against the cage, to no avail.

Slowly the cage became too small and, with one finally bellow, a promise of revenge and bloodlust, the creature collapsed, revealing its true container. A young, pale skinned boy, with blood red hair and the kanji for 'love' etched on his forehead.

He lay there, half naked, not moving from the strain the beast had place on his body, releasing itself to such an extent

"Leave him, stranger" the Kazekage ordered

Naruko ignored him, instead she removed her cloak, taking a pot of ink and a brush from inside, before rolling the boy over to see the seal on his back, a red thing barely adequate for containing such power inside a frail human body.

"They're going to free the one-tail" someone cried out in panic and suddenly power lashed the barrier around her and the boy

"Cease this foolishness" the Kazekage nearly shouted, she ignored him once again.

She sliced her hand and squeezed the blood into the pot, before mixing it deftly with the brush. Then she took the blood/ink mix and began to draw on the boys body, and the ground around him, aiming to loosen the seal and vacate something from inside of it first.

In a few minutes, during which the ninjas ceased their attacks and instead decided to wait her out, trusting their Kazekage to capture Shukaku if it broke free once again.

Eventually she stopped and put her utensils to one side of her. She then put her hands on the seal on the ground and focused, allowing the seals on her arms to appear before she focused and power poured forth into the seals on the boy.

In a flash of blinding light, and a thunderous sound like the roll of thunder, the seal collapsed and power rushed free of the seal, caught in the barrier it began to steadily expand, pushing all around it further and further back as the energy steadily poured forth before a horrid scream echoed throughout the village

"Death comes for you, mad priest" Naruko muttered loud enough for several ninjas to hear, before the power collapsed and the barrier returned to its original size, humming to itself as she worked away inside of it, painting some more seals onto the body of the boy.

With one final burst of power the second set of seals locked themselves onto the boys body, disappearing swiftly before a third layer was added and similarly made to vanish.

Naruko stood and cracked her neck to one side, turning she put her cloak back on and faced the ninjas surrounding the barrier

"What have you done, stranger?" the Kazekage asked her and she bowed her head to the man

"Resealed the Demon correctly" she told him

"Correctly?" he asked while waving a hand downwards, the various ninjas standing down at his command

"Yes, a second soul was there with the Beast, a mad priest fearful of death" she explained and the Kazekage motioned towards the boy

"Will Gaara be okay?" he asked and she nodded

"He will have an easier time sleeping, the demons chakra was leaking into his without being converted, that issue has been fixed for now. The cage is now far stronger, from both internal and external attacks" she explained

"So, someone would find it very hard to remove the demon now?" the man asked, face wreathed in shadows and Naruko nodded

"That is correct, but the same goes for him, he will be unable to willingly remove the beast, for all intents and purposes the two are now separate within the same body" she told him and he nodded

"I see, well stranger, it seems you have done us a great favour, but how can we be sure?" he asked and she shook her head

"There is no demon here, is there?" she asked "If i did not set it free then what else did I do? And I may also mention that scream you heard" she told her man who sighed to himself and nodded as the barrier surrounded her and Gaara collapsed

"Very well, welcome, then, stranger to Suna, I trust you can find yourself some accommodation?" he asked and she nodded before motioning to Gaara

"I will need to place the final seal on him tomorrow, when he is awake" she said and the man hesitated but then nodded

"What is it for?"

"A simply redundancy, should someone else out there know of a way to forcefully extract Demons from their hosts, this seal with lengthen such a process considerably, drawing on the chakra around it to strengthen the core of the cage" she told him and he nodded, motioning to several ninjas

"Make sure that she had access to Gaara in the morning, and don't touch her" he commanded and the soldiers nodded and she sighed to herself, cracking her neck sharply once more before walking off into the black night, looking for a place to sleep, and do some thinking of her own.

The early morning was pleasantly cool, the sun was beginning to climb the horizon to the east, illuminating the destruction that had taken place within the village the previous night before she had arrived.

She sat on the roof of her hotel and looked out over the village, spotting the odd bits of green here and there, and the tall building in the centre that served as the Kazekage's office and the base of the council, military and civilian both, as much as that led to conflict. The sky was a crystal blue and she took a moment to admire its paleness, not seen in her home-country, before she slipped her mask onto her face, feeling its effect take hold once again as several ninjas appeared on the roof alongside her

"Come" the captain ordered sharply and she stood lazily, patting herself to check she had everything she nodded to the ninjas, and began to walk towards the hospital where Gaara, prized weapon of the Kazekage. was being held for the moment.

The village was barely awake, save the odd ninja shooting past on some kind of important business, and as such she was permitted to enjoy another few moments of silence as they walked

"It's a good thing you arrived when you did" one of them men next to her said, she didn't acknowledge he had spoken

"It was certainly one of the worst attacked, usually they happen out in the desert" another admitted

"Quiet" the captain barked and the men fell back in line as they approached the hospital.

Entering it Naruko was unsurprised to see the looks of suspicion levelled against her as they climbed to the top floor, the most secure, and heading towards the only door guarded by several elite ninjas

"Right, we're here" the captain said stiffly "he's awake, but shaken, unstable" he told her and she ignored him.

As she turned to open the door he caught her arm roughly, she turned to him, his face tightening at the sight of her mask

"If you do anything funny…" he warned her, leaving the threat hanging, she shook him off and turned to him fully

"You know nothing of sealing, Captain, so it would be wisest if you did not interfere as you attempted to last night. Leave this to the experts, I have no interest in being killed by a demon, or your ignorance" she told him calmly, slowly, before walking into the room, leaving the captain red-faced and several men snickering at him.

She walked into the spartan room, a single bed and chair, an empty vase and a barred window. It was more like a prison cell than a hospital room.

She did not greet him as he sat there in the bed, the new seal on his back clearly visible

"I cannot hear mother" he suddenly said monotonously and she nodded

"I severed your connection with the demon" she said

"Why?" he asked her as she pulled out her brush and ink-pot

"Because it was dangerous, because it would kill you and everyone around you" she said as she sat in the chair and watched him as he watched her

"I cannot sense you" he then said and she nodded once again

"My mask is special, I cannot be sensed by ninjas" she told him "and I need to finish the seal, reestablish connection between you two, and put a failsafe in place"

"Failsafe?" he asked carefully

"Yes, in case someone tries to steal the Shukaku from you" she told him simply "it will not harm you, everything I have done has been to strengthen your control over the Demon inside of you, and allow you to sleep a little better" she told him

"Sleep?"

"Yes, within an actual connection to you, Shukaku cannot influence you, therefore you both are now two completely separate entities, inhabiting the same body" she said and he nodded slowly

"Do it" he said and she moved forwards.

In mere moments the seal was complete and she sat back

"Release some chakra" she said and he did so before slumping forwards, apparently unconscious, as the seal locked down, wrapping around the other few arrays, gathering them into an elegant pattern before vanishing altogether from sight, making it impossible to know it had ever been there.

Suddenly the boys head lifted to show, instead of the usual dull green, a bright honey hue that clearly was not human

"Hello, Shukaku-san" Naruko greeted the demon who got up off of the bed and walked over to where Naruko was sitting, before going onto one knee

"Thank you, merciful stranger" it said and Naruko nodded

"It was my pleasure" she said

"Why though? With that madman gone, I am myself once again. Though I am less pleased with the strengthening of the seal" it admitted and Naruko nodded

"I believed it necessary to ensure Gaara-san's peace of mind" she told it "and I did it because I could, and because I have seen the same thing" she said and the demon nodded slowly

"I…have spoken to Gaara-san, he is…dead" it said

"He is damaged, but it can be fixed. There will be scars, but such things are not easily dealt with, I cannot fix problems of the heart with my knowledge after all" she said and the demon nodded again before taking her hand

"Still" it muttered, softly kissing the back of her hand "thank you, Stranger"  
"Naruko" Naruko interrupted softly

"Thank you, Naruko-san, for freeing both myself and Gaara, I swear to protect and guard you eternally" it said and Naruko nodded slowly

"Thank you, I did not expect such a gift" she admitted and Shukaku smiled up at her

"All the more reason to give it, Naruko-san, I will serve you as best I can, no harm will come to you under my watch" she promised solemnly and Naruko removed her mask to smile down at the possessed boy who looked surprised

"You're, so beautiful, Naruko-san" Shukaku muttered softly and Naruko laughed softly at that

"Thank you, Shukaku-san, but for now I think you should return, Gaara-san needs to recover after all, I will speak to you later" she said and Shukaku looked at her for a moment before laying back in the bed

"As you say"

"Are you female, Shukaku-san?" Naruko then asked and with a brief, confirmatory smile, the lights went out and Gaara slumped back down onto the bed as Naruko slowly place her mask back onto her face.

The room went silent for a while, Naruko lifted her left hand, looking at the place the demoness had kissed it briefly before she heard the door open next to her, revealing two people, one of whom glared at her fiercely while the other appeared to stifle a whimper from escaping his throat.

"You" the young woman growled and Naruko stood, turning to face her, taller than her by a few inches she watched the woman.

The woman had sharp green eyes, darkened by something familiar to Naruko, and blonde hair gathered into four ponytails. She was wearing a light-purple, off-the-shoulders garment that came down to mid-thigh, tied in place with the blood-red sash. Fishnet covered her shoulders and parts of both legs, her headband hung around her neck.

In contrast, the man had short brown hair and the same eyes as the woman, he was wearing a black, baggy, full-body suit with a red and yellow circle on the front, a hood hung unused for the moment, with the forehead protector joining it.

"Good morning" Naruko said while bowing her head to them, as she had done to their father, the Kazekage

"Why're you here?" the woman asked sharply and Naruko stepped back to Gaara's side

"I was finishing up" she explained as the two glared at her

"Get away from him" the young man said and Naruko opened her cloak, revealing the dagger on her belt, causing him to step back again

"He is your brother, I know, however I have helped him" she told them carefully, not wishing to fight the children of the Kazekage this early in the morning

"You nearly killed him" the girl accused her

"It was necessary, Shukaku would have killed him eventually otherwise" she told them sharply "this village was poison to him, and the demon fed from his hatred and rage. Now it is locked away, safely, with no influence over his mind" she told them just as Gaara stirred.

Naruko saw the other two twitch in surprise, looking as though they were fighting an urge to run, no doubt believing Gaara would immediately unleash his sand to kill them all as he woke up

"Naruko-san" he muttered as he saw Naruko.

She nodded and helped him sit up and get comfortable

"How do you feel?" she asked him

"Clean" he told her, sounding a little surprised "I feel calm, refreshed" he muttered

"You slept for nearly ten hours before all this, that is good, it shows my seal has worked" she said and he nodded

"She said you helped her as well" he said and Naruko nodded

"I did, we spoke, I'm glad it worked" she said with a smile he couldn't see

"O-Otouto?" the girl then spoke up, but Naruko kept his attention

"The seal will affect your chakra, a few days and you'll be back to normal. But at least your demon won't be trying to kill you now, you should speak to her more, help each other, she seems calmer than some" she said and Gaara nodded

"I will" he said obediently and Naruko smiled again,the expression unseen behind her mask, looking him over she nodded to herself and stood up

"You should be fine now, just make sure they don't know about that little thing a few minutes ago and everything'll be fine" she told him and he nodded while his two siblings inched closer carefully

"Don't hurt her" Gaara then said to them sharply and they nodded quickly as they both stiffened up, Naruko put a hand on his shoulder

"I'll be here for a little while, Gaara-san" she told him softly "come and see me if you want to, goodbye" she said, bowing to the three siblings before leaving the hospital, deciding to find a nice sunny spot, and relax for a little while.

She sat in what appeared to be a park. The sky above her appeared never-changing as she watched it gradually shift colours as the sun rose higher and higher over the horizon, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the heat despite her cloak and mask, even with the sand blowing in the wind, irritating her to no end even with her hood pulled up over her head. The sounds of rebuilding, after last nights brutal attack, were all that kept her awake as the minutes ticked by.

A shift next to her informed her of someones arrival

"Naruko-san" someone said and she turned to see a ninja standing there at attention, dressed in the usual attire for the village as he watched her stand up and face him

"Kazekage-sama wishes to speak with you" he said simply and she sighed silently behind her mask, motioning for the Jonin to lead the way into the centre of town and the large oval structure within.

Inside the building it was pleasantly cool and fairly spacious, she could hear arguing upstairs by the council as they debated one thing or another. To her left sat the statues of the previous Kage's for the village, unable to be outside due to the sand, though she certainly preferred this kind of display than carving faces onto the side of a mountain, it was less arrogant, more in line with how ninjas really should be, she felt.

She was quickly led to the Kage's office and after a brief pause, she entered the building to find the man sitting at his desk, hands steepled in front of his face, as he watched her stand before him. He had cropped dark reddish brown hair, and the same eyes Gaara had, only far darker, and not with suffering. This was a darkness born of a desire for power, and the terrible things done to gain that power, whatever the overall outcome.

"What is your name?" he asked her sharply as she stood before him, not fazed by the guards beyond the door, or the man sitting before her.

His kind were dime a dozen, after all.

"Naruko, though I usually go by Corvo" she informed him

"Last name?" he asked her stiffly, as though annoyed by her technically dodging the question

"I left that somewhere on the road" she said stiffly, her tone clearly asking him to drop the subject which he did after glaring at her a moment

"You do not belong to another village?" he asked and she shook her head

"I destroyed any record of me belonging there a while ago" she told him and he frowned

"But you're not a ninja?"

"No sir, I have had basic training, but never passed the exam, which I am grateful for" she told the man who chuckled, sounding like sand rumbling through a dune

"As am I" he told her

"Why did you bring me here, Kazekage-sama, I have many tasks that require my attention" she told him and he nodded

"As I am aware…I will get to the point then, I have spoken to Gaara, he likes you" he told her and she nodded

"I freed him, in a manner of speaking, from his demons" she said and he motioned for her to sit, she shook her head

"Yes, you're very skilled with seals, perhaps even as much as that fourth Hokage" he said and she shook her head

"That man bastardised every seal he ever used, he never truly understood how they worked" she told the man who laughed once more

"And you do?" he asked in a testing tone

"I wouldn't have been able to seal the demon yesterday if I couldn't" she told him simply and he nodded

"I see. In that case, Naruko-san, I have an offer for you"

"Can I refuse?" she asked and he smiled slightly again, none of his emotions seeming to reach his eyes as they spoke

"Of course Naruko-san. The offer is quite simple. I am prepared to offer you full citizenship of Suna, if you are prepared to give those seals of your's to us. I am especially interested in your mask" he told her firmly

"No deal" she said instantly, causing him to frown

"Why?" he asked stiffly

"Because my seals are mine, they are special and many have been forgotten even by Konoha. I need to make money as well Kazekage-sama, I am happy to sell them to you, but no more than that" she said and he sighed to himself

"What else?" he asked her

"I need to be able to leave the village as well, without any issues. There are matters that require my attention after all, but beyond that I an certain you may wish to send me to allies, or potential enemies, if only to show off your new 'tool'" she told him and he nodded

"Fair, so long as you only sell them to us" he told her

"I can ensure I'll only sell the military seals to your ninjas, such as explosives and certain traps, however more generic ones, such as the contraceptive seal, I will sell to others. Besides, it not like many know my name anyway" she told him and he smiled slightly again

"Yes, I had me men try and find something about you, however you drop off of the face of the earth once we reach the borders of the Land of Fire" he said before nodding to himself "very well, Naruko-san, you have a deal, I'll inform the council" he told her and she bowed to him once again, a inclination of the head.

"I will take my leave then" she said and he nodded before she moved out of the room, not even glancing at the ninjas in the tower as she made her way back to where she had been relaxing before being so rudely interrupted.

"Naruko-san" someone called out as she left, and she turned to see Gaara, along with is two siblings, walking up to her, she bowed with a hidden smile, though it carried in her tone

"Good morning again, Gaara-san, I am pleased to see you up so soon" she said as the siblings hung back

"I heal quickly" he told her simply and she nodded

"As I am aware, are you here for a mission?" she asked him and he shook his head "ah, the Kazekage wishes to speak to you regarding Shukaku" she said and he nodded

"He is concerned" he told her and she nodded

"Yes, for his position" she told him and he tilted his head, making her laugh softly

"Never mind Gaara-san, I've just been given full citizenship in Suna, so I guess I'll be staying" she said

"Just like that?" Temari suddenly asked and Naruko turned to her

"Yes, my skills are an even match for any of the Sannin when it comes to sealing, and your village lacks any ability in this art" she said and Temari bristled but said nothing when Gaara glanced at her, Naruko put a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed

"Don't worry, Temari-san, I will not be here long at any rate, I have many other duties to attend to beyond the village. I will be at the park, Gaara-san, if you, or your 'other', wishes to speak with me" she said and he nodded in understanding, lightly touching her hand in a partial show of affection

"She would like that" he said and she nodded, bowing to the two elder siblings, before taking her leave of them.

The sun was beginning to set when Naruko noticed Gaara walking towards her, his siblings nowhere to be seen as the park sat silent, all other civilians having headed off to bed. She had taken the day to relax and sample a few of the local foods and arts, before retiring to the small park, more like a garden, to await for Gaara's inevitable arrival.

"Good evening Gaara-san" she greeted him with a small smile as her mask sat to one side of her, her hand over it possessively as she waited for Gaara

"Good evening Naruko-san" he replied in kind, standing in front of her before he blinked and his eyes changed to that honey hue once more

"Good evening Shukaku-san" Naruko then said and the demoness nodded, kneeling before Naruko who raised an eyebrow at her

"You don't need to bow, Shukaku-san, I don't need you're obedience" she told the demon who nodded

"I know, Naruko-san, however I am unable to do anything else to repay your kindness, even if I am trapped in this body, Gaara-san has proved himself to be rather…patient with me" she said and Naruko nodded

"I see, though I'm surprised you and Gaara-san are getting on so well now" she said and the demoness nodded

"As am I, we had time to talk however, and realised we are both prisoners here" she said and Naruko nodded

"I see, prisoners both. Well then, so long as that is dealt with we shouldn't have an issue, despite your bloodlust" she said and Shukaku blushed

"I cannot help that" she said before going quiet for a few moments "Naruko-san?"  
"Yes"

"Are you…a container as well?" Shukaku asked and Naruko nodded

"Of the Kyubi" she said and Shukaku's eyes went wide

"Truly?" she asked in shock and Naruko nodded

"I completed the seal the Fourth placed on me on my birth, it is now totally locked down inside of my soul, even the seal-masters of old would have trouble completing the sealing array he used, especially with how he bastardised it" she said and the demoness pressed her hand to Naruko's stomach, frowning in concentration

"I cannot feel her" she said and Naruko nodded

"Complete lock-down, like its in a coma" she said and Shukaku shivered

"Why?" she asked quietly

"Because she refused to cooperate, she made me suffer and gave me nightmares. I threatened her, she ignored me, so I carried my threats out. She is perfectly aware of her situation now" she said and Shukaku frowned

"So if I had…been uncooperative?" she asked and Naruko nodded

"I would've locked you down, probably separating you from your chakra. Sealing is a very powerful art form, and very few people realised it can, literally, bend time and space to its whims" she said and the demon nodded slowly

"So, these 'errands', are you going to find more of my siblings?" Shukaku asked and Naruko nodded

"Yes, though I will likely have to hold back after the two tail, and seven tail are found. The locations of the others are well protected secrets. However I would still count that as a victory for me" she said

"Why are you doing this? Helping the prisoners and jailers live in…peace?" she asked and Naruko sighed softly

"I am unsure, I think it's because I have suffered, as have others, with this skill I can bring them some kind of peace, however small it might be" she pointed out

"You have helped Gaara-san immensely" Shukaku said and Naruko bowed her head in thanks

"I know, I can already guess what his life was like, especially since my life was more of the same. It's a shame that his brother and sister fear him so much" she said and the demoness nodded

"It's unnecessary" she agreed

"Fear is a controlling factor I think, people are foolish like that after all" she said before looking over the demoness "though I may have a way to allow you to wander separately from Gaara-san" she said and the demoness looked at her for a moment before kissing her cheek sounding, pulling back suddenly upon realising what she had done with her jailers body, blushing as she did so

"Sorry" she said and Naruko waved her off

"Do that once I've figured it out" she said

"I'll try to be patient" she said and Naruko nodded

"My apologies for not thinking of this before hand, I'll need to teach Gaara-san the technique first after all" she said and the demoness sighed, resting her head against Naruko's shoulder

"Humans aren't this kind" she uttered softly and Naruko sighed

"We used to make deals with demons like yourself, power was borrowed and used as such, but fear is all consuming sometimes" she said and the demoness sighed once more before suddenly Gaara sat up, eyes back to that dull green

"Did you hear that?" Naruko asked and he nodded

"What technique?" he asked and she laughed softly

"One I picked up from my old village, I cannot use it anymore, not with my mask certainly, but I can give you this" she said, handing him a small scroll, which he glanced over

"Shukaku says she can help" he said and Naruko nodded

"I thought as much, it may take me some time to create the seal however, I apologise for that" she said and Gaara shook his head

"She says its no problem" he said and she lay back to look up at the stars that had arrived while they'd been talking

"Your siblings don't like me" she said and he hummed slightly in acknowledgement

"They won't harm you" he said, sounding a great deal like Shukaku when she had made that same promise

"You misunderstand Gaara-san" she said and he looked down at her "they are angry because I hurt you, and they don't understand what I've changed about you. They're scared of you being hurt by me" she told him

"They are…afraid of me?" he asked

"No, they are afraid _for_ you, Gaara-san. They don't want you to be betrayed again" she told him and he nodded after a moments pause, though she knew he didn't grasp it just yet.

His siblings had a lot of work to do, before he trusted them that much ever again.

"Well" she then said as she stood up "I need to get ready for tomorrow, I'll see you tomorrow, Gaara-san" she said, bowing to the young man before taking her leave

The following morning was as clear and warm as the others, a pleasant breeze carried a cooling wind from the shadow of the cliffs into the town, making the heat more bearable as it woke up gradually.

Already Naruko was awake, however. She was sat in the park with her cloak removed from her body, revealing her black shirt and trousers to the world, as she meditated and waited for the day to get underway fully. The Kazekage had let his elite know about her already, and she was preparing to be met at any moment by any number of the elite from the village. The prices of the seals were heavily dependant on their function and the danger they represented in the wrong hands. The rest were fair game if you had the cash.

She opened her eyes as she felt something change in the air, a burst of power nearby as she allowed the eyepiece of her mask to focus, allowing her to look across the village with ease, spotting several ninjas heading towards her, their dark brown cloaks billowing behind them as they shot across the rooftops.

She sighed and released her meditative trance, coming back to full awareness as she removed several scrolls from her pockets and put them before her as she waited for them to arrive

"You must be Corvo-san" one of them said as the four came to a stop

"I am" she replied simply "are you here to buy?" she asked and a second one nodded

"What've you got?" they asked and she nodded down at the scrolls

"At the moment, given the short notice I had, I have explosive notes, basic sealing scrolls, and a barrier technique"

"The one you used before?"

"The very same. For something more advanced I have several contraceptive seals, which function differently from one another. And last, I have a complex seal I've been working on" she said and the ninjas studied her a moment

"Whats special about the basics?" one of them asked as though disappointed

"They are more advanced than the ones you buy from templates. They can hold more charge and waste less energy on the flashy aspects of the note, less smoke and the like, they're designed to kill" she told the man who nodded "the sealing scroll can be linked with others of its kind, allowing for multiple objects to be locked into the same scroll"

"Can't you do that anyway?"

"Its inefficient though, you cannot choose what comes out first, with this you can"

"I'll take some" he said, handing her the money easily as she shelled out the first batch of seals

"This" a female said, pointing at the contraceptive seal "we already have techniques for it" she pointed out and Naruko shook her head

"This is special, it is activated by chakra being pushed into it internally, and can last for thirty days without a recharge" she told them, noticing some civilian girls looking over "however for civilians they'll need someone else to charge it. For ninjas there is a second edition which works like a self-contained unit, meaning chakra draining restraints have no effect, in theory chakra could be made to exit it, giving a ninja a quick burst of chakra" she told them as she ninjas grew wide eyed

"Finally" she said as she revealed a black scroll "there is this" she said as she looked at the elite ninja "I will only sell this to the Jonin's and above, and only with explicit permission from their higher-ups" she said

"Why?"

"It contains a suicide seal, which must be applied by me" she said

"Suicide" someone whispered

"By taking the chakra from the seal itself, I am able to flood the brain stem with chakra, frying the nerves, guaranteeing death, though not a pleasant one" she said seriously before voices erupted, asking for numerous seals, many female ninjas quickly purchasing her supplies of contraceptive seals before she told them she was all out of the first two types

"Excuse me" another one said as she presented a written confirmation letter and Naruko nodded

"I need you to remove your top, unlike the others which can be applied via tracing, this needs to be collapsed down" she told the woman who nodded and, without shame, removed her top so Naruko could work.

Many stopped what they were doing to watch her work, her brush strokes precise and fluid as she applied the seals to the woman's skin, deftly twisting and turning the brush before putting a finger against the woman's stomach, where the main part of the seal was, and pushing chakra into it as her own seals along her arms flared up, the seal on the woman collapsing down to a tribal patterning just below her stomach, and a pair of lines, running up, turning to run under her breasts and around her sides to her shoulders before merging as they met at the base of her neck.

"Done" Naruko said after a few minutes of work "activating that seal will be difficult, it has a threshold seal on it that will only activate if at least a third of your current reserves are pumped into it" she said

"Thank you, Corvo-san" the woman said and Naruko nodded before packing up, having run out of specialist seals of sell.

She finished up packing when she saw Gaara's siblings walking over to her

"Good morning" she said as she bowed her head again

"You could bow properly" Temari said sounding annoyed

"There are very few people I bow to in this world Temari-san, and for good reason" she told the girl as she finished and sat down again, motioning for them to do the same, they complied

"Now then, you two are here for a reason, so what is it?" she asked them and Kankuro looked away, making Temari growl

"Your contraceptive seal" she said stiffly and Naruko nodded

"I'm assuming you want the second version, I'll have to apply it manually, I'm out of tracers" she said

"Can't you make another one?" Temari asked, clearly annoyed

"Not exactly, my sealing tracers are one use only, once chakra activates them the seal is created, the paper then burns up" she told her and Temari looked disgusted

"Fucking hell" she growled

"You misunderstand, all the seals I sell need to collapse to work properly, any minor errors will change the effects. They burn up due to the chakra, though my more advanced tracers do so purely to prevent someone stealing my designs" she told the girl who growled but nodded stiffly

"And you must be here for puppets I'm guessing?" she asked and Kankuro nodded

"I can't fit more mechanical parts into them" he told her and she nodded

"Understandable, I can assist with some aspects of it, traps and the like, or even flame seals, leave me a list and I'll get them made for you" she said and Kankuro appeared to sigh in relief as he handed over a ready made list. Naruko glanced over it and nodded

"I'll have these done in a few days" she told him and he nodded, handing her the money he walked off to give his sister some privacy

"Get it over with" Temari growled as she raised her shirt, Naruko clicked her tongue and began working on the seal swiftly, finishing it in a few moments "is that it?" Temari asked and Naruko nodded

"Push chakra into it" she told the girl and the seal glowed before folding in on itself and disappearing "the seal itself is quite simple if you understand what you're doing, but the positioning makes a great deal of difference, anymore than a few centimetres and the seals purpose can alter" she told the girl who sat there silently as Naruko packed up, sealing away her items before standing, stretching slightly before looking down at Temari.

"What is it?" she asked the girl who glanced up at her before standing, bowing deeply to Naruko as she did so

"Thank you" she said stiffly "thank you for helping my little brother" she said and Naruko nodded

"It was nothing" she said and Temari straightened back up, looking close to tears

Naruko stepped forwards and wrapped the slightly smaller girl in a hug

"W-what?" Temari asked in shock as she tried to escape

"You don't need to be strong anymore, Temari-san" Naruko whispered into her ear before hugging her tightly "let it go" she told her and Temari began to shake as she fought back sobs

"Why?" she asked horsely

"Because you're Gaara's sister, and because you've had to suffer as well" she said and Temari broke down, sobbing into Naruko's shoulder openly as years of pain and anger came out

Naruko just held the beautiful girl to her, stroking her hair while whispering sweet nothings to her the whole while.

Eventually Temari calmed down, sniffing as Naruko wiped away the last few tears and stroked her hair

"Its okay" she said to the embarrassed girl "I won't tell anyone" she promised and Temari nodded while looking up into Naruko's mask

"Can I?" she asked and Naruko removed the mask, making Temari gasp before Naruko replaced it

"You're beautiful" Temari muttered and Naruko smiled behind the mask

"As are you, Imouto" Naruko replied quietly as she removed her mask again to kiss Temari's forehead as the girl stiffened before sniffing quietly

"Its not that easy" she said and Naruko laughed softly

"I know, but I don't think Gaara would mind" she said and Temari pouted at that, knowing Naruko was very much correct in that regard

"Damn it" she muttered and Naruko laughed quietly before hugging Temari again

"You need to talk, or vent, you come to me alright? I'm here to help after all, and I think I'll get on better with you lot than the others around here" she said and Temari snorted

"Whatever" she said and Naruko kissed her cheek, making Temari blush again

"Come on, Imouto, I need something to eat" she said and Temari, despite her grumbling, fell into step behind her.

_**The End**_

**Thank you very much for reading, please R&R if you wish, ideas and all are welcome.**

**For those of you waiting for a new chapter to Spirit Master, I am now getting back into writing.**

**_For the next few days, a story called 'Tasters' will be created which will contain several small pieces from other things I've worked on, please view and comment, the more votes a chapter gets, the more likely I will be to write it._**

**Oh, and it will contain around six stories in total.**

**That is all, thank you for your time, please visit my blog for updates and the like. **

**Have a nice day.**


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